Just to prove that Oskar Freysinger of the Swiss People’s Party is not just another pretty face: he may be in the forefront of a sentiment that is building across Europe* -Europeans are increasingly lashing out at the construction of new mosques in their cities, as terrorism fears and continued immigration feed anti-Muslim sentiment across the continent.
The latest dispute is in Switzerland, which is planning a nationwide referendum to ban minarets on mosques. Earlier this month, Italy’s interior minister vowed to close a controversial mosque in Milan.
Some analysts call the mosque conflicts the manifestation of a growing fear that Muslims aren’t assimilating, don’t accept Western values and pose a threat to security.
“It’s a visible symbol of anti-Muslim feelings in Europe,” says Daniele Joly, director of the Center for Research in Ethnic Relations at the University of Warwick in England. “It’s part of an Islamophobia. Europeans feel threatened.”
Well, give the girl a prize for noticing what’s going on. Too bad the conclusion following her premise is so skewed by p.c. Yes, I saw that “I” word, too. But this woman is an academic so she’s afflicted with word-tics; this is a professional hazard for non-profit employees.
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Here is the definition of “phobia”:
1.A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.
2.A strong fear, dislike, or aversion.
In the case of an ethnic group (Ms. Joly being the director of a place that supposedly “researches” ethnic relations ), some of whose members have a predilection for blowing things up, this fear is not irrational.
One could hazard a guess that Ms. Joly didn’t lose anyone she loved on 7/7, hmm? Had that happened, one doubts that the “Islamophobia” word would drop so trippingly from her lips.
The disputes reflect unease with the estimated 18 million Muslims, who constitute the continent’s second biggest religion, living amid Western Europe’s predominantly Christian population of 400 million, Joly says.
You'll notice that the linked news article does not say “Islamophobia.” It terms the phenomenon differently, this way:
"Anti-Muslim sentiment"
Ms. Joly thinks “the tide has turned” since the 1980’s and ‘90’s. I quite agree, despite the continuing bad news from the education sector in the EU. After all, those years didn’t see the bombings and burnings and random hatred/violence that have arrived as part of the urban scenery in many European countries. Back in the 1980's how many London parents were ordering kevlar school uniforms for their children?
Oops. I'll bet Ms. Joly thinks that's just part of the pervasive Islamophobia, hmm?
Supporters of the Swiss referendum collected enough signatures two weeks ago to call for a constitutional ban on minarets, the towers used to call worshipers to prayer. No date has been set for the vote.
Italy’s Interior Minister Roberto Maroni announced this month that he wants to close a Milan mosque because crowds attending Friday prayers spill onto the street and irritate neighbors. In April, the city of Bologna scrapped plans for a new mosque, saying Muslim leaders failed to meet certain requirements, including making public its source of funding.
In Austria, the southern province of Carinthia passed a law in February that effectively bans the construction of mosques by requiring them to fit within the overall look and harmony of villages and towns.
Far-right leaders from 15 European cities met in Antwerp, Belgium, in January and called for a ban on new mosques and a halt to “the Islamization of West-European cities.” The group said mosques act as catalysts for taking over neighborhoods and imposing Islamic ways of life on Europeans.
“We already have more than 6,000 mosques in Europe, which are not only a place to worship but also a symbol of radicalization, some financed by extreme groups in Saudi Arabia or Iran,” Filip Dewinter, leader of a Flemish separatist party in Belgium, told Radio Netherlands Worldwide at the conference.
Although the group in Antwerp represented minority political parties from Belgium, Austria and Germany, its cause resonates elsewhere.
Ah, there are tiny points of light all over Europe, thanks to these “far right” extremists:
Construction of a mosque in Cologne, Germany, drew protests from residents last year and sparked a political debate in Berlin over concerns that it could overshadow the city’s great Gothic cathedral.
In London, plans for a “mega-mosque” for 12,000 worshipers next to the site of the 2012 Olympics drew 250,000-plus opposing signatures.
Current controversies over mosques represent an anti-Muslim attitude that initially sprang up after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S. and the transit bombings in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005, Joly says.
Oh, my! She noticed the reason for the pervasive Islamophobia. Too bad she is imprisoned by her job and can’t use the real name for this phenomenon: reasonable fear for one’s safety, never mind one’s way of life.
Meanwhile, there are the usual dire predictions from the usual suspects:
Sakib Halilovic, an imam in Zurich, says Switzerland’s referendum to ban minarets “plays into the hands” of extremists by denying them a place to worship or limit what the mosque can look like.
“It will boost radical positions within the Muslim society in Switzerland,” Halilovic told the Swiss Broadcasting Corp. last week.
In other words, do what we want or we’ll get dangerous.
On the other hand, this report has an optimistic, level-handed conclusion:
Some moderate Muslims say those against building more mosques sometimes have legitimate concerns.
“Truthfully speaking, we don’t need so many mosques,” says Irfan al-Alawi, international director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism in London. “We have 1,600 mosques (in Britain) and a (Muslim) population of 1.6 million. It’s become a business rather than a worship place.”
And so it has. Just like the business of jihad, which pays handsomely for those who know how to run a terrorist venture successfully.
Particularly thriving are the jihadists operating out of the proliferating Wahhabist mosques which are a global undertaking on behalf of the Ummah - that sunshine Utopia which will bring peace and harmony to all.
*This news article appeared in AZCentral (in Arizona) but was written by Jeffrey Stinson of USA Today. No link available to Mr. Stinson.
And a hat tip to Aeneas!
10 comments:
"Sakib Halilovic, an imam in Zurich, says Switzerland’s referendum to ban minarets “plays into the hands” of extremists by denying them a place to worship or limit what the mosque can look like."
Forgetting everything else for a moment there ARE a thing called zoning issues. But alas this does not apply to the umma.
There's no question in my mind that there's nothing irrational about fear of Islam. If you're an infidel, fearing Islam is a natural, well reasoned response to this religion's well documented intolerance to anyone or anything non-Muslim.
The fact Islamophobia is spreading throught Europe is a good thing, showing that inspite of the Euroelites and their well crafted efforts to keep the truth away from the population, the people are starting to see what's really going on. Hopefully Islamophobia will continue to spread and change the direction Europe is heading.
Sakib Halilovic, an imam in Zurich, says Switzerland’s referendum to ban minarets “plays into the hands” of extremists by denying them a place to worship or limit what the mosque can look like.
I was in Bulgaria a few years ago and the highlight of the trip was an underground church that looked like a stone cow barn. This church was in operation during the Muslim occupation of the country.
Funny how the Muslims had no problem limiting the outward symbols of Christianity when they were in charge but now fight tooth and nail against the same thing...
What is even more sick is how our tour guide went out of her way to tell us how conciliatory the Muslims were that occupied her country to even let Christians assemble.
I guess in a way they were, as opposed to killing all of them.
Can we say "Shariaphobia"? That is what really scares me. Excepting of course that islam and sharia are basically one and the same. I sure wish the "moderate" moslems would forcefully let the radicals know they want those two seperated.
For anyone who continues to conflate mosques and churches, here is the best clarification I have ever seen regarding this. Simply put, one is a place of worship, the other is a seat of government.
I post this in complete form for those who need it as a tool to fight Islam.
---------- Begin Article ----------
The Role of the Mosque in Society
By Richard Braun and John Marion
Summer 2007
As the influence of Islam grows in Europe and America, the role of the mosque in society should be understood by all non-Muslims. Richard Braun and John Marion summarize the importance of the mosque and its central role in the growth and promotion of Islam. Much of the information presented in this article is taken from the book, The Mosque Exposed by S. Solomon and E. Alamaqdisi, on which Richard collaborated.
Most Americans assume the mosque is simply a place where Muslims go to worship, almost like a “Muslim church,” but this is not really the full story. You see, Islam is predominately a works-based system and unlike Christianity, which is a faith-based system. And how does the average Muslim know how he or she should act? Allah has given them the perfect example in Mohammed. Muslims should imitate him.
The Way of Mohammed
While the Quran is believed by Muslims to be the revelation of Allah’s word, the “perfect example” of Mohammed’s life, teachings and character are recorded in another body of writings called the Hadith. These writings, called the Sunnah, record the way Mohammaed lived and taught, and are used to interpret the Quran and develop Islamic ideology.[1]
Because Muslims view the mosque through Mohammed’s life, the role of the mosque can only be understood as it was used by Mohammed. It would be a fatal error for us to assume that the mosque functions like a church. We must see the mosque in the context of Mohammed’s life.
Mohammed did indeed go to the mosque to worship. Therefore it is a house of worship. He performed his prayers in the mosque and taught all Muslims that it is an important place to say prayers. Every Friday, Muslims around the world go to their local mosque and face toward the city of Mecca to perform their ritual prayers.
Command and Control
But worship for Mohammed was not limited to religious ritual. Worship is an entire way of life. For Mohammed, worship is about implementing Allah’s law. This is called Shariah law, and it encompasses every area of life. Shariah means “path.” In the desert context from which it comes, it means “a path leading to water.” While for the Christian, the words of Christ are “living water,” for the Muslim, it is this law which is a life-preserving force, and water in the desert.
Since worship is not merely religious ritual, Mohammed acted in his role as the supreme leader of the community and the mosque was his base of operation. Here are some examples of how Mohammed used the mosque to implement his all-encompassing Shariah law:
He made legislative decrees from the mosque. It is the seat of legislative government.
He taught his followers his ideology in the mosque. It is the educational seminary.
He sent and received official delegations at the mosque. It is the local embassy.
He conducted the affairs of the Islamic state, entertained heads of state, and appointed judges there. It is the seat of executive power.
He issued legal decrees and developed Sharia law there. It is the supreme court.
He issued social decrees. It is the social center of the community.
He proclaimed the superiority of Muslims over non-Muslims, issued death sentences against those who opposed him, and dispatched the executioners to carry out their duties. It is the place and symbol of Islamic rule.
He proclaimed the superiority of men over women at the mosque. It is place of inequality.
It is where he issued marching orders, proclaimed jihad, and recognized his warriors. It is a military base.
In short, THE MOSQUE IS THE COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER OF ISLAM.
Hijra and Taqiyah
The number of mosques in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years. Based on Mohammed’s example, everyone should walk to the mosque as he did. Therefore, there needs to be a mosque in every neighborhood. In larger communities, there would need to be many mosques, one in each neighborhood. Additionally, since Muslims who are living in a non-Muslim nation are in a perpetual state of jihad,[2] the role of the mosque should be understood in this context, along with two other concepts: migration (hijra and concealment or disguise (taqiyah).
Migration
The Islamic calendar begins in the year A.D. 610, when Mohammed migrated with his followers from the city of Mecca to the city of Medina on the Arabian Peninsula. The Quran speaks highly of those who migrated to Medina for the cause of Islam in passages such as Surah[3] 2:218, 3:195, and 4:100.
Hijra is used by Muslims to spread Islam. There is a method to the process. As Solomon and Alamaqdisi state in their book,
Migration is legally obligatory on a Muslim as preparatory to other forms of jihad for the victory of Islam and Muslims in other countries . . . . Migration precedes jihad and both are inextricably linked . . . . It is not possible to consolidate the Islamic religion without migration. There is no way to raise the profile of Islam in the abode of apostasy without the help of Muslims and the increase of their numbers.[4]
Since the role of the mosque is so critical in securing victory over non-Muslims, mosques are sometimes built for the purpose of raising awareness of Islam among non-Muslims rather than serving the needs of the Muslim community as a place of worship. This is why a small group of Muslims in a non-Muslim community sometimes build a large mosque which far exceeds the needs of their group.
Migration and the building of mosques serve the purpose of bringing a witness to non-Muslims that Islam is superior.
Disguise
Solomon and Alamaqdisi state: Despite the overtly cruel, harsh, and intolerant Quranic views toward others, namely Jews and Christians, there are injunctions in the Quran that enable the Islamic community to disguise, play down, and when necessary, deny both the intensity and the validity of these anti-Semitic and anti-Christian teachings of its religious system.
This particular injunction is taqiya, which permeates almost all the activities and dealings of Muslims within non-Muslim societies, be they religiously sacred or religiously temporal, secular or civic, since . . . Islam does not distinguish between sacred and secular.[5]
For this reason, the so-called moderate Muslim leaders in America should not be trusted to support and uphold the principles of freedom in the U.S. Constitution. Their leadership position within the Muslim community makes them guardians and promoters of Islamic ideology, even if they must conceal and disguise their true intentions.
The Mosque in America
Here in the United States, we not only encourage the building of mosques, we actually help facilitate their construction in the name of tolerance and freedom of religion. We must realize that we are, in effect, helping build the enemy’s command and control centers within our own country.
Our political leaders don’t seem to understand the problem we are facing in this regard—or they are simply unwilling to intervene.
This is why it is critical for Americans to learn about the true nature of Islam. We need to educate ourselves and pass on the knowledge.
Thank you Zenster for the invaluable documentation of the true purpose of mosques and Muslim immigration (to colonize for Islam).
Everyone should note this reference and pass it on to as many people as possible.
It turns out that most Muslims, even the non blood-thirsty ones are a problem for non-Muslims. Even the passive ones are aiding the jihadists and activists by immigrating to western countries and providing the bodies/votes to promote Islam wherever they go.
Aiding them in putting their fingerprints all over the landscape with their mosques which are like flags claiming the land for Allah is the height of lunacy on our part.
Zenster, thank you for that useful comment. That's just what I was looking for. I want to write about how allowing mosques is a concession, and how the accumulating concessions are defeating the West from the inside (on a blog that simply documents concessions the free world is making to Islam).
Dymphna, that was a great piece of writing. I like your sharp wit and sarcasm. You're a joy to read.
Zenster, thanks for that concise article on the mosque! It deserves translation into every relevant language. German first.
For a more extensive explanation and examples on the subject, please grab the Sam Solomon book The Mosque Exposed. It's a must-read for everyone involved in countering mosque projects anywhere.
The complete mess-up of secular and 'religious' power, the anti-division of powers and all other kinds of anti-democratic problems become clear when the mosque is understood.
Henrik,
That's ANOTHER great resource. Thank you!
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